Worst 7 Dishes at Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival
Although the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival has a lot of great food, there are some duds. Snacks and desserts that are just plain bad, and not worth your money or precious stomach space. In this post, we’ll take a look at the snacks and booths you should avoid. The good news is that, unlike our Top 10 Dishes at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival list that could’ve had another 10 things on it, we struggled to come up with enough items to populate this list.
The original goal was to do a ‘Bottom 10’ here, but I have a tough time with that. To get this list to 10, the remaining three items would need to be a combination of poor preparation (like the pork belly in Brazil that was way too fatty–but probably isn’t always that way) or are just lame, phoned-in dishes (looking at you, potstickers in China!).
In reality, beyond the two abhorrent booths and couple of items that just flat-out pissed me off, there were only a few things that I really felt were cringe-worthy at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Even booths that have, historically, been pretty bad (like Japan) have turned it around this year and are mediocre to good.
I could take issue with other items in terms of value for money, but the reality is that 90% or more of what’s available during Food & Wine is of poor value, even by Walt Disney World standards. You just have to brace yourself for that, knowing it’s a fun time, or come armed with a surplus of Disney Dining Plan credits. (Or, just get wasted to the point that money ain’t a thang!)
Okay, enough rambling, here are my picks for the worst “things” at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival…
Banana Almond Soft-serve Sundae (Almond Orchard) – I’ll share a secret with you: I’m lactose intolerant. I have no tolerance for lactose and I won’t stand for it! Seriously though, this might come as a surprise, given my incessant praise of ice cream. The way I see it, if we alter our lives because of lactose intolerance, the lactose has already won. Also, most non-dairy substitutes are culinary crimes and dairy is delicious, so I’ll take my chances.
Enter Almond Orchard, sponsored by Blue Diamond Almond Breeze, a.k.a. the grower’s exchange taking California’s water, and creators of one of the most vile drinks known to humankind. This sundae didn’t taste like ice cream, and it certainly didn’t taste like the “fresh” berries it was supposed to include. The only flavor to speak of came from the liberal application of syrup, which was fairly gross.
Kefta Pocket (Morocco) – We’ve had the kefta pocket in the past from Morocco, and while not the greatest thing at Food & Wine, it has always been at least a reliable (albeit decidedly average) item to order from Morocco.
That’s not the case this year. I don’t know why they decided to change the approach here, but the end result was basically a low quality frozen pita pocket stuffed with a thin Boca burger that had been reheated in a microwave 16 times. Even assuming we got unlucky with this item, getting “lucky” with it is probably a medium quality frozen pita pocket with a Boca burger inside that has been reheated 12 times. Bon appetite!
The Italy Booth – We’ll keep it real with you: we didn’t try a single item at the Italy booth this year. This is historically the most disappointing booth of the entire Food & Wine Festival, with items so bland and uninspired that I refuse to support this booth until it gets its act together. The only possible explanation for Italy being such an abomination is that they’re targeting first-timer guests who find Italian food to be familiar and comfortable, and are unaware of what’s in store for them with this booth.
In looking at the menu, it looked every bit as disgusting as last year, with everything still looking a rung below microwavable dishes that Stouffer’s would sell. Albeit with smaller portion sizes, naturally.
Light Lab – Since we’re going to condemn entire booths here, I’ll continue with Light Lab. I shared the reasons why in our Light Lab Booth Review, but it’s worth reiterating here that the drinks are glorified sugar water and the donut is literally just what you can find at any Joffrey’s stand in Epcot.
The premise of this marketplace and the physical space of it is really cool, but it’s easy to see this is just a gimmick when it comes to the food. The menu is pure garbage, and you’d literally be better off going to Electric Umbrella.
Spicy Hummus Fries (Morocco) — This is the first of two dishes that made our top 10 list last year, when we praised these fries: “the portion is generous, and the flavor of the spicy (but not too spicy) fry-ish things contrasts with the zest of the cucumber tzatziki.”
Above is a photo of the “fries” this year, below is a photo of them last year. I know the above image might appear half-eaten, but I swear to you, that’s how it was served to me.
Yeah. Not only has the portion been halved, but there accompaniments were underrepresented.
Taste-wise, it’s probably a tough sell to put these in the bottom 10 of everything at Food & Wine, but the portion size and value left such a sour taste in my mouth that I’m doing exactly that. Really, really disappointing.
Le Cellier Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle-Butter Sauce (Canada) — We have had a back and forth, love-hate relationship with the Le Cellier Filet Mignon at Food & Wine. Last year, we tried one, and had nothing but praise for it: the cut was tender and lean, and the preparation was perfect. The year before, it was one of the biggest disappointments of Food & Wine Festival for me.
This year, we each ordered one at different times and found them inconsistent. More to the point, Sarah was with a few friends, all of whom ordered their own at the same time, and each of theirs were cooked differently. Sarah’s was well done, someone else’s was rare. We stress that everything at F&WF is luck of the draw to a degree since it’s prepared quickly and in bulk, but for the high price here, there’s no excuse for quality that is all over the place. It still might be worth the gamble if you’re betting Disney Dining Plan snack credits, but I will never pay for this out of pocket again.
In reality, there are probably another ~5 items at Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival that are just plain bad, and arguably worthy of this list. However, we skipped a lot of borderline items this year, so we cannot definitively confirm that they were bad this year. (Unlike Italy, which is hardly a borderline case, these items are the kind of things that could go either way.) We’ve learned what to avoid over the years, and since we opted not to do every single item at the event this year, we could be a bit picky. Regardless, hopefully this list provides you with a good starting place for what not to order at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival!
Check out our Epcot Food & Wine Festival Booth Menus post if you want to see and read more about every menu item we recommend this year! You’ll also want to read our full Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival Guide before you go to get an idea of what to do, strategy for the festival, and much more. For Walt Disney World trip planning tips and comprehensive advice, make sure to read our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide and related articles. Also make sure to read our other Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews and Disney Dining Plan Resources.
YOUR THOUGHTS
Did you try any items that were downright bad at the 2017 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival? Anything you’re actively avoiding this year based on poor experiences in the past? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I just returned from EPCOT, and Brazil’s pão de queijo was, as Brazilians would say, “uma desgraça!’ (A disgrace!) This cheese bread is SO ubiquitous in Brazil that you think they’d at least google how these delicious gluten-free puffs should look; they were overcooked to the point of being DARK BROWN. Noooooo. Honestly just embarrassing. Whoever designed that menu must have known better; the entire batch of pão de queijo was baked that way. Bad. Bad. Muito mal.
That’s unfortunate. I wonder if you got unlucky with a bad batch, or if that’s the standard MO on that dish?
Legacy Showplace – scotch egg good but dry, cheeseburger & cheddar handwich not what I expected and hard to eat. Citra pale ale very good
Flavors from fire – swine brine I went back for 3-4 times, corned beef very salty, pancake nothing to talk about
Light lab – donut was a donut. Didn’t glow as far as we could see.
Earth Eats – beef skewer in the morning time very tender and amazing, later day, salty and tough. Mousse was excellent
Coastal eats – seared scallops very good
Chocolate studio – nitro truffle amazing, torte very good. Cabernet very good
Cheese studio – Cheese trio didn’t like the salmon pinwheel. Pinot noir very good
Wine & dine – sear scallops not as great as coastal eats were
New Zealand – mussels were salty and a bit tough, but good
Australia – berry shrimp very good, lamb t-bone, very thin and tough. Looked nothing like the pictures.
Almond Orchard – Cauliflower risotta very good. Just yummy
Farm Fresh – my son loved the crispy chicken and the cornbread was very sweet
Mexico – rib eye taco not great. Tortillo very dry. Lime margarita watery
India – korma chicken wonderful
Germany – pasta gratin not what expected. Full of onions which changed the taste a bit
Italy – crispy calamari very good. Lightly fried, not too much breading. penne had great flavor
Hope & Barley – lobster roll sweet and yummy
Japan – ginger pork wonderful
Morocco – just had the sangria which was sweet and very good
Belgium – beer braised beef good, belgian waffle with chocolate good
Brazil – crispy pork belly very good
France – Martini slush just wonderful and the creme brulee. Didn’t eat there this year yet
Ireland – Warm chocolate pudding warm very yummy
Scotland – tipsy laird very good
We didn’t eat every place but tried after 2 1/2 days. Wanted some pool time at the Beach Club Villas. May go back before it ends though.
Ok so I really enjoy reading your blog but the lactose intolerance bit has struck a nerve!!
Are yo actually? Do you take pills to help you digest the lactose?
I am actually lactose so my food options are severely restricted at Disney and I have to wait longer for it to be specially made and I get treated like a strange specimen. I wish I could be like “I’m lactose but today I fancy some ice cream so nah!”
People saying they’re lactose and then not really being it is the reason waiters raise their eyebrows when I order food and stress the importance of no dairy. This is what happened in the gluten free community too.
Ok rant over! Thanks for an otherwise informative article!
Yes, I’m actually lactose intolerant. No, I don’t take pills. I don’t ever make special requests to waiters, so I doubt I’m the reason they are raising their eyebrows.
Then dude, how on earth do you manage a kitchen sink?! I’m actually jealous!!!!
Do you think you could get hypnotised to stop being lactose intolerant? I may look into it…
Science behind it is that lactose intolerance is a spectrum. Someone can be more or less tolerant depending on the amount of lactase enzyme (what breaks lactose down into the glucose and galactose that our bodies can then use) their body can produce. I am lactose intolerant to a fairly mild level in that when I eat/drink foods with dairy I have mild digestive discomfort like bloating, gas, sometimes diarrhea depending on the amount I’ve eaten, but also love icecream so I deal with it sometimes. A dairy allergy however, is a zero tolerance no matter how much you eat you have an immune system reaction. It is an immune response to casein rather than a digestive (lack of) response to lactose. Hope this helps explain it!
Phew, none of my favorites made the cut. *remains in DTB’s good graces*
but seriously, the biggest shock here was that you’re lactose intolerant. ?!?! How many lactase supplements did you take before eating the Kitchen Sink at B&C?!
I enjoy your Disney reviews. I think you are very knowledgeable in anything Disney. I was reading your review of the 10 “cringe-worthy” offerings at Epcot Food and Wine and was very disappointed with your comment about the Blue Diamond grower’s exchange “taking California’s water”. As a member of the exchange I want you to know I pay for the California water to irrigate my orchard. My neighbors also pay for California water to irrigate their crops which include: melons, strawberries, walnuts, peaches, corn, almonds, just to name a few. If you want to comment about anyone”taking” “California’s water” please look south. Unfortunately, Blue Diamond may produce products that some people may consider “vile”, but most people consider the almond a very healthy addition to any diet. Please keep your reviews to what you seem to know best, anything Disney.
Darling, the skies don’t care how much money you’re offering. Water is a precious commodity and California hasn’t received enough rain to support its agriculture, regardless who’s paying.
Ha, thanks Thiago. I decided I just wouldn’t “go there” as this is a topic about which non-Californians probably are unfamiliar, but is a fiercely-debated issue within the state.
I’m a CM at light lab, and all the negative reviews are hilarious to me. I don’t know for certain, but your earlier comment about light lab possibly being thrown together at the last minute feels very likely to me. We just recently started being able to sell the RGB as a frozen drink like it’s advertised, and the whole time it wasn’t even a broken machine issue like we were told. It turned out that it’s not physically possible for the vitman water we use for it to turn into a slushy. I think we added sugar or something to it to make it freeze, but it blows my mind that it wasn’t something figured out before the festival started.
I definitely get depressed serving people the T=C2, knowing how disgusting it is. If I can, I try to subtly caution guests away from ordering it. I actually had a guest tell me that it tasted like Beverly, which I got a kick out of. I try to trade as many shifts as possible out of light lab now, because even though it’s an indoor location, it’s just not fun to serve people items that you’re not proud of (plus I get really sick of being permanently sticky). I’m hoping that if light lab does come back next year, that it has better offerings and more interactive elements for kids.
Also, I’ve been of fan of your photography for like five years now, so I’m really mad I missed a chance to meet you or be in one of your pictures since I wasn’t in Light Lab the day you came in.
Really sorry to hear that, but kudos to you for actually caring to the degree that you try to trade your shifts to get out of Light Lab. It’s not as if you have control over the drink recipes!
I’m betting and hoping that Light Lab does return. The concept itself is sound, and was popular when I was there (I wonder if that’s still the case given very negative word of mouth). It just could use a bit more interactivity and a much better menu.
I made the mistake of trying the beef stew polenta from Italy. It should be renamed, “polenta stew”. My portion only had a small piece of beef (which was overcooked) and the stew was flavorless.
I’ve been reading your site for years and have found your information to be so helpful! Thanks for your hard work!!!!!!!!
I agree and disagree a little bit with the assessment on the Italy both (and not because Tom didn’t try it this year, I think 6 to 7 years of experience with the booth that hasn’t changed from last year is perfectly reasonable). I love trying new foods and I love the inventive takes on the foods at the food and wine festival. But sometimes at the festival it is nice to just get some solid unremarkable food. I realize this is not what the festival is about, but it is nice to have a couple of boring safe bets especially after getting a few things that you didn’t like. On the other hand that’s what some of the permanent counter service restaurants should offer, a few safe options, so maybe I can get my boring food there.
But with the Italy booth in particular, I do agree that the quality could be bumped up a little bit.
I think having a balance of safe and adventurous options is TOTALLY reasonable. In particular, I’d look to countries like Canada, France, and Italy to skew towards being safer, as those are cuisines with which most Americans are familiar. I’d say France in particular does an exemplary job of this, and its popularity bears that out. (Canada is also popular, but a big part of that is maximizing DDP credit value on the steak.)
Safe food options don’t have to be bad; there’s plenty of crowd-pleasing comfort foods that are incredibly well done (I’d say Homecomin’ is a great example of this), but it seems that too often, Walt Disney World takes the laziest route possible with crowd-pleasing foods. There’s no reason the Italy booth’s food has to taste like TV dinners, just as there’s no reason counter service burgers “have” to taste like cardboard.
Just because people are not adventurous or prefer a safer option does not mean they have no sense of taste. For whatever reason, I think that’s Disney’s operating assumption.
Agreed. I do wish the Italy options had a fresher taste to them.
On a sidenote, as much as we love praising, discussing and criticizing the food at Disney, especially Epcot, it is better than 95% of the food that you will get at any other theme park. The Epcot food and wine festival is the best of its kind that I have ever been to, and I am grateful that it is around. Thanks for the reviews.
I agree with Comfort on the Italy booth. This was our first year attending the Food and Wine Festival and my husband is a big lover of Italian food. He’s very picky about the other items that he eats and our meals at any of the other parks was awful. At Hollywood Studios, we actually sent food back and I have never done that. He’s not really adventurous either so having some familiar options was nice. We liked the penne pasta and the German booth as well. He tried a few others, but for the most part, a lot of the options to us were blah.
Always a good read – just got back from F&W last week and agree and disagree with the Canadian Filet. Disclaimer: Due to a split stay and a Disney Credit back to our DDP we were overloaded with snack credits. – Yes I had 4 of these. From very rare to well done. I would not pay out of pocket for this but not the worst snack there. I had 1 that was very good, 2 not bad, 1 was kinda raw. How hard is it to cook 1 small piece of meat and get it somewhat consistent?
You’re absolutely right that when this is prepared properly (and the cut is good), it is an excellent dish. One so good that I’d pay out of pocket for it.
You’re also right that it shouldn’t be so hard to properly prepare it…and our very low success rate with it shows that there more ‘misses’ than there are ‘hits’, which is really concerning to me given the cost.
First off, love the blog! This was my first time at F&W and I loved it!! I have to disagree about the sundae, though. You can’t think of it as an ice cream replica, though, but a lighter alternative. Mine was topped with mostly berries and only a little sauce, though, so maybe that impacted my love for it.
Several people on Facebook have disagreed with me on that one, too. Perhaps I just got really unlucky? What’s interesting is that I’ve seen photos of it from others that don’t even look like the same sundae. I wonder if something went terribly wrong with mine.
So we were there September 13-20 and had that at the start and end of our trip and the sundae presentation had totally changed! Maybe they were fine tuning it, but that’s a really good point – I liked it the first time, but I liked it the second time even more. The portion size was larger and there was less sauce (some at the bottom underneath the frozen banana-almond and some drizzled on top – mostly berries). I’ll bet you got one that led them to change it – disappointing! (Also glad to know i’m not the only one that liked it! Maybe it will return)
Despite your reviews I tried everything at Light Lab (because it’s exactly the kind of inventive stuff I believe in), but darn it if they weren’t all totally undrinkable. The sad thing is, the last time Disney tried going experimental with F&B (FotA booths in Feb), it was a total home run – ignoring the higher price point, of course, but it’s not like the Light Lab offerings used high-priced ingredients. I wonder why it wasn’t successful this time wtih Light Lab?
My hope is that Light Lab was thrown together last minute to add capacity (and also an indoor environment) and they didn’t have time for a better menu. Online feedback has been really negative, so I’m optimistic that the menu will be better next year.
I just about fell off my chair when I read that you were lactose intolerant. “But I thought ice cream flowed through your veins!!”
Maybe that’s the actual issue: I’m not lactose intolerant, I already have too much lactose in my body, and I’m risking lactose poisoning by adding more!
You didn’t try anything at the Italian booth, you just hate it. Unbelievable. I love you so called Disney experts. Proof that anyone can blog, and unfortunately, people will listen
You must have missed the posts from the last few years as Tom reviewed Italy…
Why waste money on a notoriously awful booth year after year?
Because he doing a review….it’s in the definition. You can’t put something as the worst if you haven’t even tasted it. Maybe they changed things. You can’t put it on the list if you haven’t tried it. Not “professional”.
I’ve tried every item on the menu at the Italy booth for 6 of the last 7 years, and have been burned every single time. If it’s unprofessional to deduce from years of consistently poor experiences that it’s a poor both, then so be it.
Reader comments–even those that disagree with me–are encouraged to provide a greater breadth of knowledge for those planning trips. If someone who has tried the 2017 Italy booth would like to jump in and praise its quality this year, I’m more than welcome to that.
Agreed. It’s not unprofessional, it’s reasonable, and one of the reasons why I value Tom’s opinion. He has better things to do (and places to go) than deliberately waste his money to have pictures of everything. I’d rather follow a blogger who’s worldly and makes rational decisions than one with 127 vanilla cupcake reviews.
Keep it up, Tom. I’m currently planning my first trip to Japan (a week in November in lieu of an American Thanksgiving), and Travel Caffeine has been a seriously helpful resource for me.
Agreed. Bunch of losers who cant afford training in any field yet they go judge everyone else.. lol
I graduated magna cum laude from law school, but I attended on a full ride academic scholarship, so I suppose you’re right from the “afford” it perspective. Well played, louis!
Yeah, take that you losers. “Claire T” and “louis” from the Internet are on to you. From this day forward, there will be no more saying stuff on the internet without proper training in a field. A new era is upon us all.
Claire and Louis are still bitter over Journey Into YOUR Imagination, Superstar Limo, and The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) closing.
Claire…Tom’s posts are always thoughtful and honest, which is why he is considered to be one of the most respected bloggers in the Disney community.
Never thought I’d encounter a troll on a DISNEY blog post! Villain alert! Keep blogging, Tom – reading your posts is the highlight of my workday escapism from my law firm job!
We just got back from the Epcot Food & Wine Festival on 10/30/17. And I was wondering what is wrong with your taste buds! Did you have a BAD cold or something when you went there. We were there for 3 days. We tried everything (something’s twice because it was so good) including Italy dish which you did not like. Ours was amazing, delicious and perfect. The meat was so tender and the polenta was perfectly cooked. Maybe you need to stop reading Mr. Bricker’s opinion so you can figure it out on your own. In our opinion Mr. Tom Bricker needs to actually taste something before leaving an opinion on it. Claire T.
I’m lactose intolerant (since childhood), but refuse to give up ice cream, or other dairy products. My doctor’s advice…eat a half cup to a cup of ice cream every night to ensure that throughout your life you will be able to tolerate dairy. It works. If you forego dairy completely, your system probably wouldn’t be able to stand even a quarter of a cup. (Although, it doesn’t sound like you’re planning on foregoing ice cream anytime in the near future). Also…Lactaid pills.(No one should have to give up creme brûlée.)
Those were the sorriest excuses for Food and Wine dishes I’ve ever seen. Considering what they charge, one might expect at least some semblance of taste and substance. Not much value there.
“My doctor’s advice…eat a half cup to a cup of ice cream every night…”
Good news! I’m already following your doctor’s advice!
Holy moly! Who knew my summer time habit of Ben and Jerry’s cured my lactose intolerance?!? I mean, I’ve been eating ice cream anyway for the last 15 years, but I guess the key was putting it in a pint instead of a gallon.
My hopes of a homemade (okay Dosney made) gingerbread cookie like the kind my mother-in-law makes at Christmas were smashed beyond recognition by the cellophane wrapped, factory produced dry and stake cookie sold in Germany. I couldnt believe it wasn’t even made on property. Avoid, avoid, avoid.
There are always a few items per festival. The last couple of years, there was a bag of grape tomatoes, before that there were carrots, I believe. I’ve seen pre-packaged ice cream in China–the list goes on.
A lot of times, the packaged items are produced by one of the sponsors of the event, and selling said item is a condition of sponsorship. I don’t bother with any of these things–but I’ve become familiar with what’s like that over the years. It’s too bad Disney doesn’t have display items/accurate photos to show what some of this stuff actually looks like.
I completely agree about the filet mignon in canada – mine was well-done both times. Who eats filet mignon well-done? Completely ruined it for me.
Anthony Bourdain on ordering meat well-done:
“‘Saving for well-done’ is a time-honored tradition dating back to cuisine’s earliest days. … What happens when the chef finds a tough, slightly skanky end-cut of sirloin that’s been pushed repeatedly to the back of the pile? He can throw it out, but that’s a total loss. He can feed it to the family, which is the same as throwing it out. Or he can ‘save for well-done’–serve it to some rube who prefers his meat or fish incinerated into a flavorless, leathery hunk of carbon, who won’t be able to tell if what he’s eating is food or flotsam. Ordinarily, a proud chef would hate this customer, hold him in contempt for destroying his fine food. But not in this case. The dumb bastard is paying for the privilege of eating his garbage! What’s not to like?”
Next time ask for it to be made medium or what ever you want. I DO ask for mine to be well done. Just tell them when you show the receipt!
I have lactose intolerance, but I developed a tolerance by having lactose pills. I can eat ice cream with cream and yogurt even without taking the pills each time. I still avoid whole milk. I drink lactose free milk. It’s an investment to keep enjoying ice cream.
I have complaints about both the Baked Shrimp Scampi (at Coastal Eats) and the Warm Irish Cheddar Cheese and Stout Dip (at Ireland). In both cases, the dip itself was delicious, but they only give you a tiny amount of bread for dipping. It’s pretty much impossible to scoop it all up in just a couple of bites, and I do not want to just drink the rest of the dip!
Agreed. There were actually 4-5 dishes that could’ve used (more) dipping bread. Next year, I’m bringing my own bread. BYOB, right?! 😉
The hummus fries were one of my favorite dishes!! Although seeing the portion size compared to last year, this leaves me disappointed that I only got a half serving
The hummus fries were really good–but that portion size. Really awful value for money…
We just returned from a 3 day trip and didn’t try any of these items so I guess we chose wisely!! The fried chicken with cornbread at the Florida booth was the worst for me. Dry chicken and bland gravy. My wife, however, Liked it. Conversely, she didn’t like the spam hash in Hawaii and I ordered it 3 times! Loved that stuff.